Source: adg.nwanews.com
BENTONVILLE, AK, USA, November 26, 2009: When Murthy Kolluru, a native of India, moved to Northwest Arkansas 13 years ago, people could tell he wasn’t from around here. “[When] I went to a Wal-Mart people would talk to me in Spanish,” Kolluru said.
Since that time, the Indian and Hindu communities have grown dramatically in the region, from a few families to more than 1,000 residents. Kolluru said the growth means his fellow Indians and Hindus are less of an unusual sight here in the Bible Belt. “Now they know we are Indian,” Kolluru said.
Members of the Hindu Association of Northwest Arkansas hope to give the public an up-close glimpse of the rituals and traditions of their ancient faith Saturday as they celebrate the opening of a new temple. The hours-long ceremony will include worship, the chanting of sacred Scripture and Indian cuisine.
Ubhaya Vedanta Sriman Venugopala Swami Gattu, a Hindu priest from Tulsa, will lead the ceremony and will chant the 700 verses of the Bhagavad-Gita in Sanskrit, the first time the elaborate service has been held in the area, organizers say.
Arumugam Jayavelu, vice president of the association, said the Gita Yagna, the recitation of the sacred text, is being performed for the good of all mankind, to ensure peace and prosperity, but above all to sanctify the temple, which will honor Krishna, an important Hindu Deity.
The Hindu population of Northwest Arkansas has risen dramatically in recent years, mostly due to job opportunities at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and with the company’s many vendors.
The temple’s website is nwahindutemple.org